BoD Update September 2021
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by USA Racquetball
The Board is excited to attend and have its first “in person” meeting in two years at the UnitedHealthcare US OPEN, just three weeks from now. Strategic planning will be the main area of focus, and we’re all energized and motivated to contribute to the plan and see it begin to unfold in 2022.
A number of Board members will be on hand throughout the entire event as we celebrate the US OPEN’s 25thAnniversary; extend our gratitude to Doug Ganim for his outstanding management of the event over this quarter of a century; witness the induction of new Hall of Famers; and welcome opportunities for dialogue with USAR members on the future of our great sport and the continuation of the US OPEN.
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HIGHLIGHTS -- USAR Board of Directors Meeting -- August 30, 2021
Thirteen of 14 Board members were in attendance along with Executive Director Mike Wedel.
Following are some points of interest:
Finance Update
Financial performance through July continued to be generally in line with budget. Membership revenue for the year is ahead of budget but continues to significantly lag pre-COVID levels. The largest impact on finance for the remainder of the year will be the 25th UnitedHealthcare US OPEN Championships held in October. While the event is on track to be as exciting and well-attended as ever, due to the rise of the Delta variant, COVID considerations do remain.
Budgeting for 2022 has commenced with a timeline to finalize a budget in October or November. The greatest budgeting challenges revolve around the future outlook for membership revenue, future US OPEN financial performance, and allocation of resources across competing USA Racquetball strategic initiatives as identified through the ongoing strategic planning process.
US Team Committee
With the International Racquetball Federation’s announcement of a change in dates for the IRF World Championships and a change in location for the IRF World Junior Championships, the result is a combined event with overlapping competition dates in the same country, Guatemala. Projected costs for sending teams to the IRF World Championships and IRF World Junior Championships were re-calculated based on the announced changes.
At the August 30th meeting, the Board approved the U.S. Team Committee’s recommendation to send a delegation of eleven (athletes and staff) to the upcoming 2021 IRF World Championships. The Board will vote on approving a U.S. Junior Team staff at its late September meeting.
Legislative Committee
Based on USOPC requirements regarding Athlete Representation, notifications for recommended Bylaws revisions were provided to the Board on 8/14/21 (15 days in advance per USAR Bylaws). Proposed revisions were approved and applied to Articles VI, VII, and IX. Updated USA Racquetball Bylaws, Amended August 30, 2021, are posted under the pathway “About / Bylaws” from USA Racquetball’s website home page.
Strategic Planning
As alluded to in the intro to this article as well as in the Finance Update above, Board member Laura Pesek is spearheading a planning approach to bring USAR’s plans current and to prime the association with solid strategic initiatives, goals, and actions in the coming year and beyond. On August 30th, Laura presented proposed planning components for the Board’s review and acceptance. Projected completion is slated for year-end.
Next Meetings: September 27, 2021, via Zoom, and October 6, 2021, at the US OPEN
--ADJOURNED--
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GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The makeup of the USAR Board of Directors is diverse and robust, including four state association presidents, two pro tour commissioners, the NMRA president, several business owners, and three elite racquetball athletes. They bring a wide range of skills and knowledge brought from multiple areas of business, educational, and racquetball experience.
View Board members’ photos and profiles. Just click on each photo to see the profile, and click on the name to send an email.
Please visit the USAR website -- About/Bylaws, Article VII, to learn about Board of Directors Position Categories: At Large Elected, Board Appointed, Executive Appointed, and Athlete Representatives.
We hope you are finding this newsletter feature interesting, and we always welcome suggestions and/or questions to include in future updates. Please contact Stewart Solomon (VP) or Cheryl Kirk (Secretary).
If you have questions about the Staff’s activities, please contact Mike Wedel.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone!
